


Unexpected

by squvsh



Category: Law & Order: SVU
Genre: Abusive Relationships, Domestic Violence, Drug Dealing, Drug Use, M/M, Multi, Polyamory, Sexual Abuse, Some Barisi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-19
Updated: 2019-03-03
Packaged: 2019-06-29 10:16:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 8,681
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15727359
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/squvsh/pseuds/squvsh
Summary: Rafael is protective over his long time high school friend and crush, maybe even a little jealous. Seeing him in a relationship with someone other than him? He didn't trust the guy but he has good reason not to.





	1. And So It Begins

Markus Rodriguez. He wasn't exactly the best person, but he wasn't the worst. Rafael didn't know what Emile saw in the guy. He seemed shady. He wouldn't tell Emile who he couldn't date though, especially when they were just friends. He knew he should have told him how he felt before it got to be too late. He should have listened to Olivia. 

"Rafi, it's your turn." Olivia said. Rafael pulled himself from his thoughts and got up.

"Everything alright, counselor?" Sonny asked. He noticed that Rafael hadn't exactly been all there.

"Just thinking. I'm good." Rafael said as he went to pick a ball. 

"Good because you need a strike to beat me." Sonny teased, smirking. Rafael rolled his eyes and picked up a ball that was a good size for him and went to bowl his turn. He easily got a strike and Sonny groaned, getting up to take his turn. 

"Rafi, you've always been good at bowling." Emile said. Rafael shrugged and sat down beside Olivia, glancing over at his friend and his boyfriend. Boyfriend. That didn't even sound right in his mind, it didn't feel right. 

"Rafael, are you always this modest?" Markus asked with a chuckle. Emile rolled his eyes.

"Rafael? Modest? No way. If you see him when he works, you'd know that he's not modest at all." he said. Markus laughed a little, pulling his phone out and going to stand up. "What is it?"

"Work. Just a quick call, doll face." he said, kissing Emile's forehead before he walked off to take the phone call. 

"He works almost every day?" Olivia asked. Emile nodded before getting up to take his turn.

Rafael watched him before turning to watch Markus talking on the phone. He didn't trust him. 

 

After they all finished their game, Markus and Emile left first, Markus claiming he had to be up early for work. Olivia was the next to go, leaving Sonny and Rafael.

"What's the matter, Raf?" Sonny asked as they headed out, putting his arm over Rafael's shoulders.

"I just don't trust the guy. For an artist, he seems to have a lot more money than other artists and his stuff isn't even high end." Rafael said as they walked to Sonny's place. 

"Maybe he drives for a car service on the side. They make pretty decent money." Sonny shrugged. Rafael sighed.

"Even then he would need something more stable. Like drug dealing..." 

Sonny chuckled and stopped, turning to face Rafael. "You're over-thinking. C'mon, I'll make you some coffee and heat up the leftovers and we can watch those shows you like." 

Sonny kept him grounded, especially when he worried too much. He liked spending time with him enough that he had said yes to dating him. Their relationship was fairly private, definitely good. Even with Rafael worrying over Emile, Sonny understood. He had even asked if Rafael had wanted to have a polyamorous relationship to which Rafael said yes but by then, it was too late and Emile had gone off with Markus. From what he could tell, Markus wouldn't even allow Emile to be alone with Rafael, not even in public spaces. That seemed like a red flag. 

Rafael hadn't even noticed they got to Sonny's apartment until they passed over the threshold. He shrugged out of his jacket and hung it up before going to sit on the couch. 

He pulled his phone out and sent a text to Emile, hoping that it wouldn't be a bad time to talk, maybe learn more about his boyfriend.

 

[To: Emile] hey

[From: Emile] what's up?

[To: Emile] wanted to see if you wanted to go out for drinks tomorrow night

[From: Emile] can't..

[From: Emile] Markus has a show tomorrow and I'm going with

[To: Emile] oh, okay. you didn't mention that before

[From: Emile] you didn't ask before

[To: Emile] right

[To: Emile] are you just telling me because he said you can't?

 

When Emile didn't text back, Rafael sighed and put his phone on the coffee table. Emile always texted back, even if he was in the company of others. 

"What's the matter?" Sonny asked, handing Rafael his bowl and putting his mug on the coffee table. Rafael pointed to his phone before he began eating, watching Sonny sit. 

"Normally I'd get a reply by now." Rafael said. Sonny set the phone back down.

"That does seem a little concerning." he said, kissing Rafael's temple. "Just give it a little bit. Eat your food."

Rafael nodded and began eating, letting Sonny turn on the tv. 

 

2:32 AM. Rafael groaned as his phone rang. He had stayed over Sonny's place for the night. He picked up his phone and sat up, answering it.

"Raf... c-could you um...are you home?" 

"Em? What's wrong?" Rafael asked, more awake now. "I'm not at my place, I'm with Sonny."

"I just need to...I'm coming over." Emile said. 

"What happened?" 

"We were uh...arguing... I'm here..." 

Rafael got up and went to open the door, seeing Emile practically drowning in a way too big hoodie, no shoes on his feet. Rafael hung up and closed the door after carefully pulling him inside, taking him over to the couch. 

"Stay put." he said, going back to the bedroom and gently waking Sonny.

"What...what is it?" 

"Emile's here." he said. Sonny sighed and forced himself up, grabbing his pajama pants and pulling them on. 

Rafael went to get a blanket and pillow from the hall closet, going back to the living room to see Emile taking the hoodie off, some bruises on his shoulders. He almost dropped what was in his arms. 

"That looks like a lot more than just an argument." he said, setting the pillow and blankets down on the couch beside him. Emile sighed and tied back his hair, some bruising on his neck too. 

"It's not as bad as it looks..." he said softly, pulling his knees up to his chest. His knees were scraped up and Rafael sighed, going to grab the first aid kit, coming back and kneeling down in front of Emile. "It was stupid, he was upset with work...he drank and when he drinks..."

"He didn't rape you?" Rafael asked. 

"No, just...grabbed me really hard, left a few hickeys...shook me some. He broke one of our bottles of wine then stormed out." Emile said, wincing as Rafael began cleaning his knees. "He got mad that you texted me..."

"Is that why you didn't reply?"

"He took my phone from me when he saw it before I could even reply. He was angry and yelled at me, slapped me but then apologized." He sighed, pulling his phone from his pocket and putting it on top of the sweater. 

"He seemed so nice at bowling." Sonny said as he came from the kitchen, handing Emile a cup of tea. He didn't reply, sipping at his tea while Rafael put bandages over his knees and got up. 

"I'll go after I finish this... Thank you." he said. 

"You don't have to. You're a guest and always welcome here." Sonny said as he went to put the first aid kit away. Rafael sat in the chair next to the couch.

"Is this the first time?" he asked. 

"Yeah." 

Rafael sighed and put his head in his hands, his elbows on his knees. He wasn't equipped for this. It was the middle of the night and he couldn't bother Olivia. 

"Emile, if he did this, he might do it again." Sonny said as he came back, standing behind Rafael. 

"He might. I don't want to jump to conclusions though." he said, sipping his tea. 

"You can't please everyone, Em. I don't trust the guy, especially when I've already heard him basically not allowing you to hang out with me alone. We can't even go to the bar together unless it's with an entire group." Rafael said. "We've been friends since high school. You should be allowed to see your friends unsupervised." 

"I'll try to talk to him about it, okay? No promises he'll change his mind." Emile sighed, setting his cup down. "For now, I just wanna sleep."

"I'll take you home in the morning." Sonny said. Emile nodded and curled up on the couch, covering himself with the blanket he had been given. Rafael huffed and got up, going to the bedroom. 

 

Sonny took Emile home around 8:30 before he had to go in for work.

"Call any of us if anything happens, okay?" 

"Thanks." 

Emile got out and went inside. Sonny waited until the door was shut behind him before he pulled off and drove to the precinct. 

 

The day went on without much trouble until Rafael came in, clearly worried. Sonny wasn't there, out investigating a case. When Amanda saw him, she frowned and got up, going over to him.

"What's up, Barba?" she asked. 

"You know Emile's boyfriend, Markus?" Rafael said as he sat down. Amanda went and sat down as well. 

"What about him? He seems like a nice guy." she said.

"Okay well, I did some digging and he's not just some artist." he said, handing her a file. Amanda sighed and read through it. "He got charged in the past for possession, gang related things..."

"Domestic violence? Emile didn't know?" Amanda asked. Rafael shook his head. "I know you want him to, but he can't. Not until we can get the guy away from him."

"He came over Sonny's place around 2:30 in the morning, bruises on his shoulders. He said that he doesn't want to jump to conclusions."

"Alright. I can see if Liv will let one of us trail him till he messes up, see what we can do. For now, don't let either of them know we're looking into him." Amanda said, still looking through the papers. "And if he does hit him again, one of us will come and get him."

"Thanks, Rollins. I'm gonna get some coffee and try not to think too much on this." Rafael sighed, getting up and heading out. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things get worse before they get better. Emile should have listened.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tw; implied sexual assault/r*pe (AKA Markus is an asshole)

“I’ll text you when I get lunch, okay?” Emile said as he straightened his tie, giggling as Markus kissed his cheek and playfully spanked him.

“Yeah. We still going to dinner tonight?” Markus asked. Emile nodded and looked at his watch.

“I’ll meet you there.” He said before grabbing his bag and pocketing his phone, going and kissing his nose. “See you.” 

When Emile was gone, Markus frowned and got up, making a phone call.

“Keep an eye on him. If that ada or his boyfriend get anywhere near him, you tell me. I’ve got some business to handle.” He said before hanging up and going to shower. 

 

Emile got to his office and sighed as he turned on the light, seeing a few files on his desk as well as a few call back notices.

He made himself some coffee while he called one of his clients to confirm their appointment, hanging up before there was a knock at his door.

“Come in.” He said as he poured himself some coffee.

“Just getting in?” Sonny asked.

“Mmhm. Got a busy day ahead of me.” Emile said. “Did Rafi send you?”

“Yeah, you know how he is. Worried and all.” Sonny said as he sat down.

“Worrying is gonna make him go gray and that will make him stressed.” Emile rolled his eyes, sitting at his desk. 

“After that night? I’m not surprised. But anyways, how are you after that?” 

“Good. Markus apologized. We’re going to dinner tonight to celebrate his successful sales of a collection he made.” Emile smiled. 

“Oh congrats.” Sonny smiled. He checked his phone and sighed. “I gotta get going. Just caught a case.”

“Sure. I’ll see you.” 

Sonny nodded and left out and Emile sighed, sipping his coffee before getting up and going to add more sugar. 

 

About 30 minutes passed and there was a knock on his door while he poured himself another cup of coffee.

“Come in.” He called as he stirred his coffee.

“Emile.” 

He turned around and smiled. “Markus, what’s up?”

“What was he doing here?” Markus asked as he closed the door.

“Just checking on things, letting me know about a case meaning that’s one more person on my list I have to defend this week.” Emile sighed, setting his coffee down as Markus approached him, wincing as he grabbed his face, fingers digging into his cheeks. “Ow..”

“I don’t want him or that ada around you.” He said angrily. 

“Markus, he only came by for work...you’re hurting me...” 

“Not yet I’m not.” He muttered, letting him go before he dragged him over to the desk. 

“Markus, I gotta get back to work..” Emile said, gasping as a hand wrapped around his throat.

“Don’t look so scared, sweetheart.” Markus smirked, squeezing tighter. “You just..had it coming.”

He let go, turning Emile around and bending him over the desk. 

“Please... I’m s-sorry...” Emile whimpered.

“Oh I’m sure you are. Especially after I told you not to be alone with your little friend or his boyfriend. You know, it almost makes me feel bad, what I’m about to do to you, but I don’t know how else to get you to learn. To understand.” Markus hummed, reaching around to undo Emile’s belt and his pants with one hand, his other pressing him down onto the desk by his shoulder. “Don’t make too much noise, we don’t want anyone walking in on us.”

“Markus...please no...” Emile pleaded. He should have listened to Sonny and Rafael that night. 

 

After Markus was done with him, he left Emile crying and on the floor in front of his desk, bruises forming on his hips and where he was grabbed around his neck. He shakily did his best to fix his clothes, forcing himself up and around his desk to sit down, whimpering and sniffling as he sat. 

 

_“And you better not say shit to anyone.”_

Emile rested his head on his desk, not realizing he had passed out until his phone kept ringing.

“H-hello?” He asked, sitting up slowly.

“Emile? Are you okay?” Rafael asked.

“Huh? Oh yeah... I’m fine...” Emile sighed, looking at his watch. 

“I called you and Sonny called you and you didn’t pick up.” 

“You worry too much.”

“He saw Markus head in to talk to you. What did he do?” Rafael asked. 

“I gotta go...” Emile said quickly, hanging up and rubbing his shoulder. 

 

“Something happened, I know it.” Rafael said as he sat back in his chair, nervously chewing on his pen.

“Alright well, we don’t know what happened. Unless Emile discloses, we can’t do anything.” Olivia said. 

“It’s highly unlikely he will. He might be terrified of the guy.” Amanda said. Olivia nodded.

“Well he needs to understand he can’t just stay and suffer. He doesn’t deserve that.” Rafael said.

“Give it time.”

 

That night, Emile went to dinner with Markus, smiling as if nothing happened earlier that day. Amanda was watching from a few tables away, sitting with Mike. Olivia and Sonny were outside in the car.

 

“I’m really proud of you, Markus.” Emile said.

“Me too. That set was one of my best works.” Markus said with a grin. “You helped me a lot though.” 

“Of course. I love seeing you happy.” 

Markus chuckled and lifted Emile’s hand, kissing it. 

“You know, I have to apologize for earlier. I shouldn’t have been so angry with you for doing your job.” He said softly. Emile shook his head. 

“I should have texted you when he came in. That was my fault.” He said. 

“I’ll be better. As long as it’s work related, I’ll be fine with it.” Markus said before taking a sip of his wine. “But enough work chit chat. Let’s celebrate.”

 

“Didn’t sound like he admitted it...” Amanda sighed. 

“Just keep your eyes peeled.” Olivia said. 

 

“I’ll be right back. Gotta use the bathroom.” Emile whispered to Markus who nodded. Emile got up, leaving his phone on the table before he went to the bathroom. 

Markus grabbed his phone off the table and unlocked it. Amanda frowned. 

“Controlling bastard..” she murmured. 

“Looks like he saw something he didn’t like...” Mike said.

Markus got up and frowned as he went to the bathroom, a man rushing out after he entered. Mike got up and went over, standing outside and listening.

“Ow, Markus please! I didn’t do anything!” Emile said.

Mike didn’t waste another second, rushing in and drawing his gun when he saw Markus about to hit Emile.

“Police, hands where I can see em!” He announced. Markus backed off Emile, letting him slide down the wall as Mike holstered his gun and got out his handcuffs, cuffing Markus who glared at Emile the whole time until he was pulled away and pushed out of the bathroom

And outside of the restaurant. Sonny was inside already, glaring as Markus was led past him before he went into the bathroom to check on Emile. 

“Hey, you’re okay.” Sonny said gently as he helped Emile up, leading him out of the bathroom and to a chair, a waiter bringing over some water.

“I should have listened to you and Rafi...” Emile said, wiping away some tears. 

“Don’t worry about that. Not right now.” 

 

Emile got his phone back before he gave a statement and had Amanda and Mike watch him while he went home to pack a few bags so he could go stay elsewhere until everyone was sure he would be safe. 

“Why can’t he stay with me?” Rafael asked. “Or Sonny?”

“Because we don’t know if his little buddies are lurking and watching. We’re having you under watch too, just to keep you safe since he apparently really dislikes you.” Olivia said. 

“She’s got a point, Barba.” Amanda said.

“I’ll be in a hotel.” Emile said, setting his cup of tea down. “Wait, will I still be able to work? I don’t think I have vacation time to use...” 

“Yes but you’ll be under watch. Someone will watch your office and the guards will always be on watch.” Olivia said.

“I’ll see if they want me to recuse myself from this one...” Rafael sighed. Emile placed a hand on his. “I might have to.”

“It’s okay.” Emile said.

“Mike’s ready to go whenever you are, Em.” Sonny said from the doorway. 

“Alright. Keep me posted?” He said as he got up. Olivia nodded.

“Of course.” She smiled.

Rafael got up and hugged Emile tight and Sonny smiled.

“I’ll come see you when it’s safe.” He said softly. Emile nodded and smiled, kissing his cheek before he went out. 

“He’ll be okay, Rafa. Don’t worry.” Olivia said.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Markus is found guilty but that won't stop him from getting back at Emile for getting him locked up. Rafael isn't too happy when he finds out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tw; sexual assault/r*pe   
> Markus is still an asshole

“This is more sugar than coffee, Em.” Rafael said, making a face. Emile rolled his eyes.

“Sue me.” He murmured, drinking his coffee. Rafael huffed and put his cup down before licking his lips. “Are we almost done preparing? I already wish the court case was over...”

“Almost.”

Rafael had been told not to recuse himself and part of him was glad for it. The other part of him was worried about Markus being destructive. At least he would be more likely to get the jury to see how terrible the man really was. He just wanted Emile to be safe again. 

 

The trial lasted a few days and the jury didn’t take more than an hour to deliberate, reaching a guilty verdict on one count of rape, one count of attempted rape and domestic violence. Sentencing wasn’t what any of them had expected. 

“A year? That’s like a slap on the wrist!” Emile said, angry. He shrugged Rafael’s hand off his shoulder. “I’m gonna go hope that the year goes by slowly.”

“Emile!” Rafael called after him, sighing.

“Just give him some time, Rafi.” Sonny said. 

 

A week passed and nobody heard from Emile.

 

_“You’ve reached Emile, I’m not able to come to the phone right now. Leave a message.”_

 

“Em, please call me back.” Rafael said before hanging up and sitting back in his chair. The knock on his door made him groan.

“Mr. Barba...” Carmen said, walking in with Sonny behind her.

“Sonny? What happened?” Rafael asked. Carmen walked out and closed the door. 

“None of us could get in touch with Emile.” He said, sitting down.

“You could have called and told me that.” Rafael sighed. 

“Rollins called the two nearest hospitals though.” That caused Rafael’s eyes to widen. “He’s alive.”

“I’m going to see him.” Rafael said, getting up. Sonny grabbed his hand. 

“Raf... Don’t.”

“Why not? What aren’t you telling me?” 

“He was barely breathing when they found him, beat up pretty bad...”

Rafael had to sit back down, his legs almost giving out on him. Sonny held his hand still as they sat there.

“How could I let this happen?” Rafael said, tears in his eyes.

“It’s not your fault.” Sonny said. “We’re checking visitors logs and calls from the jail to see if Markus planned this.” Rafael could only nod, still feeling guilty.

 

The rest of the day seemed to drag on but once it was over, Rafael went to the hospital and was allowed to go to Emile’s room. His mother was at his bedside but that’s not what caught his eye. The tubes and wires all seemed like too much, everything was too cluttered. The only sound from inside the room was the steady sound from the machine keeping track of Emile’s heartbeat.

“Mrs. Asher...” Rafael said as he stepped inside. She looked up and gave a sad smile, wiping away her own tears.

“Rafael.” She said, standing and going to hug him. “How are you?”

“I’m here.” He gave one of his small smiles. 

“The doctor said...his head injuries were the worst of it...” she said, sniffling. Rafael moved closer and his hands curled into fists.

Emile laid there, motionless except for the steady up and down of his chest that was barely noticeable. His lip was split but healing and he had bandages around his throat. He had a black eye and his cheek was bruised. Rafael’s heart ached.

“I should have been there...” he said softly. 

“You’re here now.” Tatyana said, placing a hand on his back. Rafael nodded. “I’m going to the cafeteria. Keep him company.” She said before she left. Rafael sat down, looking over Emile’s sleeping form. He was thankful that he didn’t have a tube stuck down his throat but the oxygen tube under his nose was strange. It didn’t belong. 

“I’m sorry, Em...” he said, taking his hand. It felt smaller. Emile looked smaller. “How did I let this happen?”

He expected Emile to answer with something sarcastic or a joke, but he didn’t even move. He sighed and kissed his hand. “I should have told you back when we were in school but I guess now is better than never. I love you, Emile. I should have asked you out before... before you met Markus so you wouldn’t have to go through this.” 

“You...worry too much...” 

Rafael blinked and looked at Emile.

“What?” He asked. 

“You heard what I said...” Emile murmured, a small smile on his face. “I love you too.”

Rafael blushed and smiled, relieved that he was awake.

“You had me worried.” He said softly, rubbing the back of his hand with his thumb.

“Mm... You were worried anyways.” Emile said. “I was just taking a nap...”

Rafael furrowed his brow, confused. That didn’t sound right.

“A nap?” He asked.

“Yeah... The trial was yesterday.. You won though.” Emile said. “I went...went to the store. Some guy was mad, said...mm...said I would pay..”

“Sorry to interrupt, just checking his vitals.” The nurse said as she walked in. Rafael nodded. 

“I’ll be right outside, I have to make a phone call.” He said, getting up and gently kissing Emile’s forehead before he stepped out into the hall and dialed Sonny’s number.

“Hey, what’s up?”

“Emile thinks that the trial was yesterday. He’s been in here for days though...”

“Alright. Just stay there. We’re making some headway on things.” 

“I’ll talk to the doctor, see how bad things really are.” 

“Okay. Love you.”

“Love you too.” 

Rafael hung up and sighed, going back in.

“Everything looks good.” The nurse said.

“Do you think I could speak with the doctor?” Rafael asked, sitting down.

“Of course. I’ll go get him.” She smiled and dried off her hands before heading out. 

Emile was sleeping again and Rafael sighed, holding his hand. He was angry with Markus, angry with himself. He should have been more careful.

“You wanted to speak with me?” A voice said from behind him.

Rafael got up and nodded, turning to look at the doctor.

“He has...memory loss. Is that normal? His mother said something about head injuries.” Rafael said.

“From being hit so many times in the head, both with fists and objects, it is normal. It could also be him blocking the trauma out.” The doctor explained. Rafael looked confused. “He was sexually assaulted by whoever did this to him. People who go through severe trauma like this tend to suffer from short term memory loss as a way to cope. Over time, there is a chance it could all come back, in pieces most likely, but it could also be permanent. If it is permanent, it would be damaging to remind him. Right now, it would be damaging to try and force the memory too.”

“Oh.” 

“We managed to get dna from the rape kit. We sent that information to the SVU detectives.” 

“Good. I’ll get into contact with them.” Rafael said. The doctor nodded. “Thank you, doctor.”

The doctor left and Rafael pulled his phone out.

 

[To: Sonny] there’s dna

[From: Sonny] yeah. we got the results for that and Rollins is with Mike and Fin rounding up the two

[To: Sonny] alright good.

 

Rafael sat down and laid his head down beside Emile’s hand, closing his eyes. He didn’t realize he fell asleep until he felt fingers massaging his scalp. He sat up and looked at Emile who was smiling.

“Is Sonny coming?” Emile asked softly.

“Maybe.. How are you feeling?” Rafael asked.

“Sore. I don’t remember why but the nurse said it would come back slowly.” He said, caressing Rafael’s cheek. “Thank you for being here, Rafi.”

“I’m just glad you’re okay.” He said, turning to kiss Emile’s palm.

“Hey love birds.” Someone said. Rafael looked over his shoulder and blushed seeing Amanda walk in, Sonny following behind. 

“Hey.” He said.

“Hi Amanda. Hi Sonny.” Emile said with a smile. 

“You look better than when I first got here.” Amanda said. 

“Yeah. They gave me medicine for pain uh...fluids...”Emile closed his eyes and sighed.

“He’s still really tired.” Rafael said.  

"Sonny, stay here with him while I go over this stuff with Barba." Amanda said. Sonny nodded and Rafael sighed, getting up. He didn't move away though, Emile's hand gripping onto his.

"I'll be right back, okay? Rest." he said softly, rubbing Emile's hand with his thumb. He let out a whimper that caused Rafael's heart to ache as he let go before moving out of the room with Amanda. "Did you find out who did it?"

"Yeah. Apparently Markus made some calls, quick ones to some guy, Alejandro Ruiz. So he's in the system. Trafficking and possession. Another call was made to Ernesto Ruiz." Amanda said.

"Brothers?" Rafael asked.

"Yeah. Same charges plus domestic. From the dna under Emile's nails and from the...the rape kit, Ernesto was the one who raped him. Alejandro was the one doing the beating. Liv said she would call when they got confessions, if they get confessions." 

"Alright. Just keep me in the loop. I don't need any surprises right now, not while he's still laying in this hospital." 

"We will. Carisi's been worried about both of you. He wouldn't stop looking into everything possible until we got names." Amanda said, glancing into the room to see Sonny talking to Emile softly.

"That's just like him. I'm glad though." Rafael said. Amanda's phone went off and she excused herself before Rafael went back in the room and stood beside Sonny.

"When you get outta here, I'll make you some authentic lasagna and then we'll eat some gelato." Sonny said. Emile was smiling.

"Mango gelato." he said. Sonny chuckled and looked up at Rafael who was smiling. 

"Taking him out on a date even before he's said yes to joining us?" Rafael asked.

"Well, he had something to tell you, Raf." Sonny said with a smile. He raised a brow and sat on the edge of the bed.

"Is that right?" he asked.

"I wanted...wanted to be with you...both of you." Emile said. He sounded exhausted. 

"Both of us? Are you sure you can handle it?" Rafael teased. 

"Mmhm.." 

"Then it's settled." Sonny said. Rafael nodded in agreement and held Emile's hand. 

 

Rafael stayed the night with Emile at the hospital, watching him mostly but sleeping a little bit. When he would wake up, he would check on him, glad to see that he was still there, even if he was sleeping a lot. A nurse came in every hour to check his vitals and make sure that his IV fluids didn't run too low. She gave him some more pain medicine close to the middle of the night just in case.

 

Morning came and Emile was awake, playing with Rafael's hair with one hand and holding a styrofoam cup in the other, sipping some juice. Rafael woke up and slowly sat up, stretching out in the chair and groaning. 

"Sleeping in chairs isn't comfortable." he murmured, rubbing his lower back before looking at Emile.

"You looked peaceful." Emile said with a small smile, putting his cup down. "If there was more space, I would have let you come lay up here with me." 

"How are you feeling?" he asked, kissing the back of his hand.

"Tired, achy." he shrugged, laying his head back carefully on the pillows. "Your phone was ringing." 

Rafael sighed and grabbed his phone, checking it and seeing some missed calls from Sonny and some texts from him as well.

 

[From: Sonny] you're probably sleepin

[From: Sonny] they confessed

[From: Sonny] maybe we can get them to plea?

[To: Sonny] One of you has to come watch Emile if I'm gonna get either of them to take a deal.

[To: Sonny] Bring me some coffee please?

 

"Rafi." Emile said.

"Hm?" 

"How long was I here?" he asked. Rafael looked up from his phone. 

"4 days. Well, 5 if you count today." he replied. 

"5 days... I didn't think...they beat me that bad..." Emile said. "I shouldn't have been by myself..."

"It's not your fault, Em. They got them though and they confessed." Rafael held his hand.

"If they don't plead guilty, I have to go to trial. I have to...to see their faces...to hear their voices..." He began to tear up, his lip quivering. "I can't... I can't do it..."

"I'll do what I can, okay? I'll handle it." Rafael said, gently brushing away his tears, on the verge of tears himself. He hadn't cried even when he first got to the hospital. He had held it inside. He didn't know how much longer until he just let it all out. 

 

Sonny showed up with coffee for Rafael who thanked him and left. Emile had fallen asleep again and Sonny sat with him, playing a game on his phone. When Rafael got home and in his room, he was alone. He cried, his face in his hands as he sat on the edge of the bed. He couldn't remember the last time he cried so much. 

When he wasn't able to cry anymore, he sat there, sniffling and wiping his eyes. He couldn't let these guys get off without being punished for what they did. He prayed they would take a deal, not wanting to see Emile have to go through a second court case. 

Rafael showered and washed his hair, shaving his face and dressed in his brown suit with his blue dress shirt, finding a matching tie before he put his socks and shoes on. He texted Olivia to let her know he was on his way before he left out, heading to the precinct. When he got there, Amanda was waiting for him, handing him two case files. 

"Do you need a minute before you go in there?" she asked. 

"No." Rafael said, letting Amanda lead him into one of the interrogation rooms where both men were with their lawyers. "Gentlemen.."

Amanda sat in with them, sitting beside Rafael who opened both folders and adjusted his tie. 

"I'm here to offer a plea. Ernesto, you'll plead guilty to rape in the first. Alejandro, assault 1 and being an accomplice to rape." Rafael said. Ernesto whispered to his lawyer who nodded.

"He'll plead guilty." 

"As will my client." 

"Good. I'll see you both tomorrow morning." Rafael said, standing and closing both files, handing them to Amanda as he walked out. As he did, his phone rang. "Hello?"

"Raf, I... Emile isn't doing too good..." Sonny said.

"What do you mean? What happened?" Rafael said, walking to the break room.

"He said his head was bothering him and... I was right here, he was okay... I don't know what happened..."

"Relax, I'll be there as soon as I can." Rafael tried to be as calm as he could.

"What happened?" Olivia asked.

"Emile. I gotta get to the hospital. I'll be at the courthouse tomorrow morning if you don't see me later tonight." he said as he hung up. Olivia nodded and watched him go before going to sit in her office. 

 

Rafael got to the hospital and went to sit in the waiting room with Sonny who was wiping tears from his eyes. 

"They took him back for more scans..." Sonny said. 

"Let's hope that it's not too bad, otherwise I'll be tacking on attempted murder to their charges." Rafael said, holding Sonny's hand. 

It was about 10 minutes before the doctor came over to them, sitting down across from them.

"No bleeding in the brain, no excessive swelling. We'll monitor him well into the evening and possibly even into the morning tomorrow, keep him on the oxygen and keep the lights down to a minimum to avoid triggering any migraines he may have." he explained. "He'll be sedated which will help bring the swelling down completely. If you do speak to him, even when he's unconscious, you'll have to keep it to a minimum." 

"Thank you, doctor." Rafael said. The doctor nodded and got up, heading off to handle his other patients. 

"I'm gonna get some coffee..." Sonny said, kissing Rafael on the cheek before he got up. Rafael sighed and got up, going to Emile's room and sat beside the bed, putting his phone on vibrate just in case he got a call.

 

He was barely able to see him, the curtains drawn and the lights almost completely off. The room was silent except for the low sound of the monitor. This wasn't how it should be. Emile should be at home or working, not laid up in a hospital bed. He shouldn't have to be subjected to IV fluids and constant pain medication. He was supposed to be in his own bed, singing or reading something, maybe even staying up until all hours of the night working on a case. 

He kept quiet, watching Emile in the darkness. He hated the quiet, he wanted to hear Emile talk to him, even just a little bit but he knew he needed the rest. He just wanted him to get better. 

 

The next day, Sonny and Amanda kept Emile company while Rafael went to court. Ernesto and Alejandro both kept their plea deals so court went by fast enough. After that, Rafael took care of a couple more cases he had lined up before going home and changing into more casual clothes, jeans and a button up. He went to the hospital and up to Emile's room, seeing that he was awake and eating a little bit. Amanda was asleep in one of the chairs by the window and Sonny was helping Emile eat. Rafael smiled and went to kiss Sonny on the cheek before going to gently kiss Emile's forehead, sitting down beside Sonny. 

"What's for lunch?" he asked softly.

"Soup." Sonny replied. Emile gave a weak smile. "They want him on liquids with the exception of crackers." 

"It's something. Gotta get his strength back up." Rafael said with a smile. 

"You want some more?" Sonny asked. Emile just barely shook his head no and Sonny went to put the bowl on the counter before filling his cup with water and going to sit back down and helping Emile drink it before putting the cup aside and sitting back in his chair. "He's been awake maybe 2 hours. Got up with my help and Amanda's and went to the bathroom."

"That's good. The lights aren't as dim as earlier." 

"So he could see. I'll turn them back down when he needs them to be."

Emile looked at Rafael, holding his hand out to him. Rafael smiled and took his hand, kissing the back of it. 

"He's not talking?" he asked. Sonny sighed.

"I asked the doctor about it, said it's probably from the swelling. He's not lacking in understanding or anything so it's okay I guess." he replied, folding his hands in his lap. 

"Well, with rest and whatever medication, you'll get better. You're a fighter." Rafael said softly, rubbing the back of Emile's hand with his thumb. His heart fluttered when he smiled. "We'll be here with you while you recover."


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emile gets out of the hospital and Rafael is still worrying over him.

Emile got out of the hospital 3 days later, going to stay with Rafael. He was on bed rest for a week.

“Are you sure you don’t want me to stay home with you? I can use my vacation days.” Rafael said.

“Work, Rafi. It’s only another 2 days until I can do more than just lay here or sit here.” Emile said with a smile.

“Just keep the lights down so you don’t trigger a headache. Call Sonny or I if you need anything at all. He has a key to get in. If you need some food-“

“Rafi. I got it, I promise.” 

Rafael sighed and kissed Emile’s forehead, nodding and pocketing his phone.

“I shouldn’t be gone all hours.” He said before going to leave. Emile took his medicine before he got comfortable again, keeping his phone close just in case he had to call or in case he got a call.

 

Rafael got to work, finishing off his coffee before he sat behind his desk, unbuttoning his jacket before he began reading over a file on his desk. There was a knock on the door but he didn’t look up.

“Hey, Rafa.” Olivia said. 

“Liv. To what do I owe the pleasure?” He asked, looking at her. He raised a brow at the sight of a teddy bear in her hands.

“Since I couldn’t come help get Emile from the hospital, I got him something.” She said, handing it over to him. Rafael chuckled and set it on his desk. “How is he holding up?” 

“Not as tired, taking his medicine. He wouldn’t let me take off work though.” He sighed. 

“Hey, we got the guys who hurt him, he’s got two amazing boyfriends and a group of amazing friends looking out for him.” She said, sitting down.

“He does. I make sure he’s told that every day.” 

“And I’m sure he’s happy to hear it.”

 

Sonny stopped by Rafael’s place since things were slow for him.

“Emile?” He called out.

“Kitchen.” Emile called back. Sonny smiled and walked in after locking the door. “I hope you didn’t take off work just to be here.”

“Nope. Things were just slow. If I’m needed, I’ll get a call.” He said, hugging Emile from behind. “What are you making?”

“Just having peanut butter and crackers. Still getting my appetite back.” Emile said. Sonny nodded. 

“Its good to see you eating and up out of bed.” He smiled, kissing his cheek. “When’s your follow up?”

“Uh...” Emile hummed, sighing. “Rafi put it on the calendar. I’m still having trouble remembering a lot...”

“That’s okay. It’s normal. C’mon, let’s get you back to bed, finish your crackers and I’ll stay with you for a little while.” Sonny offered. Emile nodded and went to Rafael’s bedroom first while Sonny put the crackers and peanut butter on a plate and got a glass of ice water, heading up as well and setting the plate on the bedside table.

“You need anything else?” He asked. Emile shook his head, grabbing a cracker and eating it. Sonny smiled and sat down, taking his shoes and jacket off before he laid down beside Emile, letting him cuddle up to him.

“Could you turn the light off?” Emile asked. 

“Sure.” Sonny turned the light out, feeling Emile relax against him as he ate. He stayed quiet, gently rubbing his back.

 

When Emile fell asleep, Sonny smiled and kissed the top of his head, getting him under the blankets and leaving him a note before he left to go back to work. He texted Rafael as he got into the car.

 

[To: Rafael] I stopped by the house.

[From: Rafael] how is he?

[To: Rafael] he ate some crackers and I laid with him until he fell asleep again. 

[From: Rafael] thank you. I should be done soon

[From: Rafael] stay at the house with us tonight?

[To: Rafael] for sure.

 

Later that night, Rafael got home and Sonny was already there, the smell of food coming from the kitchen. He smiled as he closed the door, hanging up his coat before he went to the kitchen.

“Where’s Emile?” He asked.

“Finishing getting dressed. He took a shower.” Sonny said as he stirred whatever was in the pot on the stove before checking the oven.

“Alright. I’m gonna go get changed.” Rafael said before going up to his room and knocking before he walked in. “Hey.”

Emile looked up from his phone. “Hi.”

“What’s the matter?” Rafael walked over, loosening his tie.

“I dunno...” Emile said sadly, putting his phone aside. Rafael sat beside him and let him lean into him. “I feel...sad but I don’t have any reason to be sad.”

“Was it after your shower?” 

“Yeah... You think it’s because I’m still getting over what happened?” 

“That could be it. You have an appointment coming up with your doctor. Maybe you can see Liv’s shrink about the emotional aspects of it?”

“Okay.” Emile nodded, messing with the sleeves of the sweater he wore. “You’ll go with me?” 

“If that’s what you’d like. I dunno if I’ll be able to sit in but I’ll go. Oh, before I forget, she wanted me to give this to you." he said, pulling the bear from his bag and handing it to him.

Emile smiled and looked at the bear, feeling it over then looking at Rafael who kissed him gently. 

“Sonny’s making dinner. You wanna wait for me before we go downstairs?” 

“Yeah. Thank you."

Rafael nodded and got up, going to put his tie away before he took his suit off, putting his pants, waistcoat and jacket with the rest of his suits he needed to get dry cleaned and his dress shirt in the dirty clothes as well as his socks. He made sure his shoes were put in their spot before he pulled on a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt, going over to Emile and kissing his forehead. 

“Time to go eat. No headache?” He asked.

“Nope. I made sure I took my medicine and I drank water.” Emile replied as he got up, putting the bear on his side of the bed then following Rafael downstairs. 

“Good. If you can’t eat too much, that’s fine.” 

"Rafi, te preocupas demasiado." Emile smiled, kissing his cheek as they got to the kitchen. "What'd you make, Sonny?" 

"Spaghetti. The sauce is a little spicy." Sonny replied, kissing Emile's forehead and handing him a bowl and fork, watching him go sit at the table before giving Rafael his bowl. 

"Spicy never bothered me." Emile said as he began eating. Rafael chuckled and sat down next to Emile, starting to eat as well. Sonny grabbed himself a beer and sipped it. 

"What do you wanna drink?" he asked.

"Water please." Emile said.

"I'll get my own." Rafael said, getting back up to get himself some scotch. Sonny got Emile his water and put it down in front of him before he sat down with his beer and food. 

 

Dinner went on well and Emile ate half of his bowl, going to sit on the couch. Sonny finished the rest of Emile's spaghetti after his own and Rafael finished his own before going to put the leftovers away and wash the dishes while Sonny sat with Emile.

 

"How are you feeling?" Sonny asked, carefully pulling Emile onto his lap. 

"Better. The medicine's been helping and having the two of you here for me helps a lot too." he said, relaxing against Sonny and closing his eyes. 

"That's good to hear."

It wasn't long before he fell asleep on Sonny, curled up and cozy. Rafael was sitting beside Sonny, watching some crappy reality tv, the volume turned down. 

"I never thought any of this would happen." Rafael said softly, looking over at Sonny and Emile. "I'm happy, you know? But it shouldn't have taken me this long to say anything, not like this." He looked a little sad. 

"None of us knew this would happen to him, you can't blame yourself." Sonny said softly. "He'll be okay."

"I could have lost him, Sonny. I would have never forgiven myself." 

"Hey, don't think like that, Raf. He made it, he's a fighter. He's got the two of us lookin' out for him." 

Rafael sighed and nodded, resting his head against Sonny's shoulder. He was right, Emile would be okay, but he couldn't help but still worry that something else could happen. He knew he shouldn't worry so much. He just wanted things to be good for them and he'd make sure things were good for them.


	5. Chapter 5

A month went by and Emile recovered pretty well despite the light sensitivity and trouble with his short term memory but Rafael and Sonny were highly accommodating. He didn't work as much, only taking two to three cases every week. As much as he hated not being able to work like before, he was glad. 

 

"I thought it was your day off." a voice said from the doorway of his office. Emile looked up and smiled a little. 

 

"I thought you were supposed to be at work, Sonny." he said, closing the file on his desk. 

 

"Lunch. I brought pizza." Sonny smiled as he closed the door, going and sitting in the chair in front of Emile's desk, passing him the small box. "Pepperoni with extra cheese."

 

"You're amazing. I should be done in a few hours though, unless someone decides they need my help." he said as he opened the box, pulling out a slice and setting the box in the empty space on his desk. 

 

"Raf is worried since you're working so much." 

 

Emile sighed, taking a small bite of his slice of pizza. "He knows I'll be fine. I'll take a break when I can." 

 

Sonny chuckled and took a slice of pizza. "Yeah well, he won't stop unless he can fully protect you or I can." 

 

Emile didn't like the idea of needing to be protected, he had always had some sort of independence, able to protect himself. Even after everything that happened over the past few months, he still wanted to be mostly independent. Sure, he knew Rafael and Sonny loved him, he knew the two of them cared immensely about him, but he didn't want to be hovered over. 

 

"I know the two of you mean well, but I'm fine. I'm not gonna get better if I'm just cooped up inside of the house all day and not getting air or stretching my legs and working." he said before taking another bite. Sonny nodded, he understood that. 

 

"Yeah. He gets that, but you know how he is. I can talk to him." he offered. Emile shook his head. "Alright."

 

"I'm sorry, really. I just.... I'm not used to actually having people treat me well."

 

"Hey, you didn't do anything wrong, you don't have to apologize. It's okay." 

 

Emile smiled a little, feeling better now that he got that off his chest, nodding. 

 

The two of them ate their pizza and talked for a little bit until Sonny had to go, hugging and kissing before he left the office. Emile smiled and sat back down at his desk, getting back to work once he wiped his hands clean. The rest of his time there went smoothly, no interruptions and no new clients. He was glad once he could pack up and head home. 

 

[From: Rafael] almost done?

 

[To: Rafael] All done. Heading home, want me to stop by the store?

 

[From: Rafael] It's alright. Sonny's gonna order chinese for dinner tonight

 

Emile shook his head and laughed a little, pocketing his phone and put away the files where they belonged, remembering to lock up the file cabinet before grabbing his bag and phone charger and heading out of the office and outside. While he waited for his uber, he noticed someone across the street looking at him. He kept a neutral face, glancing around and then texting Rafael.

 

[To: Rafael] I think someone's watching me... waiting for my uber

 

[From: Rafael] Just keep a distance and keep an eye on them. Take the uber to the precinct and go straight inside

 

[To: Rafael] Okay. I'll let you know when I get there.

 

[From: Rafael] I'll be there as soon as I can. Sonny is still there.

 

Emile was relieved when the uber pulled up, telling him the address of the precinct while keeping an eye on the person across the street, still watching for a second before they got into a car. That relief vanished when he saw the car following at a distance and he chewed his lip, hoping he was just imagining things and hoping it was a case of mistaken identity. He didn't want another issue. 

 

When the uber pulled up to the precinct, he thanked the driver and got out, grabbing his bag and hurrying inside, going up to the squad room and looking around. He didn't see Sonny.

 

"Hey, Emile. What's up?" Amanda asked. 

 

"Where's...where's Sonny?" he asked. 

 

"Interrogation. You can sit at his desk, I'll get you some water." She offered a kind smile and went to the break room.

 

[To: Rafael] Made it.

 

[From: Rafael] Good. 

 

Emile sat down and put his bag down, looking around nervously and continuing to chew his lip. When Amanda came back with the water, he smiled and sipped it before setting his phone down. He felt safer, but he was still nervous. He didn't know what was going on, he didn't know who that person was. 

 

"Emile." 

 

He looked up and felt relief wash over him when he saw Rafael, standing and going to hug him tightly. Rafael held him for a minute before kissing his forehead and looking him over. 

 

"We'll stay here for a while before we head home, okay?" Rafael said. Emile nodded and went to sit down again. "What did the car look like?" 

 

"It was black. Um...a sports car I think? I couldn't see what he looked like too well..." 

 

"That's ok. We'll make sure nothing happens, okay?" 

 

Emile could only hope that nothing would happen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this was short. Hopefully the next update won't be so long after this is uploaded and I hope you all enjoyed.


End file.
